The Talking Patronus
by xDracotheDeathEaterx
Summary: Draco Malfoy feels a burning passion for Hermione Granger. In a desperate last resort, he asks her to the Yule Ball by means of a talking Patronus. In spite of herself, Hermione agrees to a cruel trick that could result in horrible consequences-ON HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

2 Hours: 35 Minutes: 6 Seconds

(Draco Malfoy)

Draco Malfoy sits alone and forgotten in the Slytherin Common Room. It's the evening of the Yule Ball, and things are not going well. He's supposed to have found a date already. He knows that he has always been only a loner, yet the fact that no one has asked him leaves him feeling hollow and sad. Like he always feels on the holidays. Not that his life is very easy. Sometimes, he just wishes he could go back and change everything. But now he knows it's too late.

Why did everything has to be so hard? Draco places his head in his pale hands, feeling useless. In the back of his mind, he knows who he wants to ask. And he also knows that it would be impossibe. She would laugh in his face. And the thing that hurts Draco the most: it's his fault that she hates him.

He wishes he could make things better between them. Potter, Weasley, and Granger. He just can't stand how close they are, every fiber of his being longs to have a friend that close. But he excludes himself, as he always has. And no one has noticed his silent desperation, the depression, the screaming inside his head for someone to notice him. So he lived alone. And would die alone. He was sure of that. How else would the life of a Death Eater who was too scared to actually do anything end? He would die silently, miserable and cold, as lonely as he would be in life. With no friends to find solace, no family to turn to. It is only pain that he knows, pain and blackness and bleak misery, for Draco Malfoy has never known love. And love, however small, is the only thing he craves from Hermione Granger. And what's killing him inside is that he will never get it.


	2. Chapter 2

2 Hours : Ten Minutes : Fifteen Seconds

(Draco Malfoy)

After a while of wallowing in sadness, Draco stands up and dries his icy gray eyes. He is ashamed of himself for crying, crying as he reflected on her. Her beauty, her knowledge. The love that was always directed at someone else. The obvious love in her eyes for Ron and Harry is always enough to make Draco want to scream. What if it was for him? So much would have been better, so much would have changed. Draco closes his eyes and pictured her. Most nights, this is the only way he can get to sleep without being troubled by frightful nightmares. Her beautiful brown eyes, so tender and full of compassion. Her light hair, rippling over her pale shoulders. But most of all, her voice, her words. Always the same line, fabricated by years of hearing her speak from a distance, His imagination created it, since of course, she would never even look at him, never mind profess her love to him. "I love you Draco. Please be mine forever." Draco can't help it, but tears well up in his eyes again as he pictures this familiar hope, this vision that would never in a million years come true. His visions are always punctured by sadness and lust. Lust for Hermione, who will never be his. Who would never even consider going to the ball with someone like him. A freak.

Draco looks up. His heart pounds, and his breath quickens. The new idea races through his mind. It's crazy, he knows, but what if it worked? If this one insane thought would give him even a single ounce of happiness, even for one night? Draco knows to well not to trust a hope. He has learned too much from expecting things from people, promises that grow old and eventually wither away. Instead of making him stronger, Draco now shies away from ever putting trust in people. This is why it is so hard for him to do this. He is going to try to ask Hermione Granger to the Yule Ball. By means of a talking Patronus.


	3. Chapter 3

2 Hours: 0 Minutes : 20 Seconds

(Draco Malfoy)

As he paces around the empty room, his grimn face even paler than usual, Draco considers his options. If he doesn't send the Patronus, he will have no girl to dance with. A pity, since he would love to go to this ball, to look and act and feel like a normal person again. He hasn't, not since that wretched day when he became a Death Eater. All his dreams were shattered that day, his life broken into a thousand shards. So it is natural that he wants to rebuild it, start anew. But how? He knows it won't be easy. But if he does send the Patronus...brutal denial would of course be harder to face than just not going at all. In his heart of hearts, he knows he won't get back a positive answer. But he wants to believe. He needs to believe. Because if Hermione Granger did in fact say yes, he would be overjoyed. It would be such a great feeling, the one good thing in his life that would shine out like a bright beacon and make his hell seem like a paradise. In this moment, Draco makes up his mind. He is going to send the Patronus. No matter what happens. No matter what she says.


	4. Chapter 4

1 Hour : 45 Minutes : Forty Seconds

(Draco Malfoy)

Draco feels stupid. It has taken him around fifteen minutes just to recall the complex spell. His mind strays to Hremione. Of course, she would know how to conjure a talking Patronus in a second. She was just brilliant like that. Draco amuses himself for a moment with a mental picture of Hermione smiling at him, shaking her fist in mock-anger and commanding, " Draco, you really need to learn that spell. It's quite simple really." She rolls up her sleeve and flicks her wand nimbly. And when the beautiful, semi-transparent otter is done ambling around the room, Draco takes her into his arms and tells her how much he means to , if he could only...

Draco comes back to reality with a thud. Unfortunately, his fleeting vision didn't remind him how to use the spell. He rolls up his own dark sleeve and whispers, " _Expecto Patronum_." He screws up his face in concentration and tries again. All he can produce is a maddening wisp of silver vapor. Try as he might, he can't find a happy memory. Then, it comes to him, as out-of-the-blue as the talking Patronus idea had been. The first time he had seen Hermione. He can remember that day as clearly as if it had just happened only moment ago. Because it was so precious to him. Because in that very moment, he knew that he loved her. It was as simple as that.

He was only eleven years old at the time. He was anxious and more than a little apprehensive. It would be the most time that he had ever spent away from home. Draco was pushing a trolley laden with his eagle owl and his school things. It was the first time he had ever boarded the Hogwarts Express, and he was scared. But someone's comforting face stood out among the crowd, someone who looked like they had done this many times before, even though she was as young as him. It was her. Hermione. Everything about her seemed so sureal, so perfect. Her sparkling eyes, the dimples in her pink cheeks. The way she carried herself, so gracefully for someone only eleven. She looked so beautiful, even in her plain Muggle clothes, that Draco just stood there amid the crowd of students and stared at her. He felt inexplicably better, though she hadn't spoken a word to him. He was deserate to get to her, just to hear her voice, which must have have sounded like a chorus of angels. But the crowd pushed him aside, and Draco was shunted into the train, catching a last fleeting glance of her before he was whisked into a compartment. That was before Draco became tanished in Hermione's eyes, before their relationship fell into ruin beyond repair. This bittersweet memory works, and Draco's Patronus appears. The vitreous, silver tiger erupts into being from the tip of his wand, and into it he speaks his desperate message for the girl he loves.


	5. Chapter 5

(1 Hour : 30 Minutes : Seventeen Seconds)

(Hermione Granger)

The Patronus takes awhile before it can find its audience. Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley, and Harry Potter are sitting in front of the Gryffindor Common Room fire. The room is beginng to empty in a slow trickle. Hermione looks at the clock on the wall and jumps up, gasping, " Merlin's beard! You could have told me the time!" Ron and Harry share an alarmed glance. Hermione is in a flurry, gathering her books and slinging her satchel hurriedly over her shoulder. In her haste, a bottle of ink flies out of her satchel and lands on the Potions essay that Ron was attempting to compose, spilling its wet black contents and completely obscuring the writing. Hermione, looking aghast, cries, " Oh no!" and proceeds to fix the parchment with a simple cleaning spell. She blushes and looks down, mumbling, " I have to get ready for the Yule Ball. Sorry, Ron." Hermione checks her bag a final time and is about to ascend the girl's staircase when a silver tiger materializes in front of her.

Hermione leaps back against the wall, her heart pounding. She fumbles for her wand, appropriate cuses and hexes running through her mind. Where had that come from? But soon she calms down enough to realize that it is only a Patronus. Hermione lowers her wand, her frightened expression melting into one of suspicion. She doesn't even know whose Patronus that is. To her astonishment, the Patronus begins to speak. Hermione frantically gestures for Ron and Harry with a finger to her lips. The voice belongs to the last person she would ever imagine: Draco Malfoy. His voice sounds hurried, frightened, not at all like she is used to. And it scares her, this new side of him that has never been revealed to her. But what scares her even more is the message it has to give her.

" Hermione," Draco's voice whispers, " I know how I've treated you all this time." The trio shares an incredulous glance, Hermione the most baffled. Her mind was running in circles. Was he about to apologize? " But I...but I've always liked you from the start. And I wanted to know...if maybe you would come to the Yule Ball with me. Send me your answer by Patronus. Sincerely, Draco Malfoy." The Patronus dematerializes into thin air. A dead silence rings in its wake. And Hermione is too shocked to speak, too confused to find words that could explain her emotions. She can't even understand them herself.


	6. Chapter 6

1 Hour : 0 Minutes : Twenty Five Seconds

( Hermione Granger )

After spending a half-hour dressing for the Yule Ball, Hermione has had a little time to process her feelings. She turns in her full-lenght mirror, enjoying the sight of herself in the dark blue dress, the folds of silk rippling down to the floor, the neaklace and earrings to match the turquoise stones sewn into her dress. But she cannot see her earrings, since she has let her long brown hair fall freely. She had planned to style it into an updo, but something told her to leave it the way it was. It made her seem more carefree, younger even. She sits down on her bed, her head in her hands, not caring that she was probably smearing her carefully-applied makeup. She knows that Ron and Harry are probably plotting ways to get even with Malfoy in their dormitory. Of course, they think it was a trick. Hermione frowned at herself. They're boys. They tended to assume such things. And Hermione half-believes it herself. It seems like something Malfoy would do. However, Draco's anguished voice plays over and over in her mind, and she can't ignore feeling that sa this time, it was something real.

But then again, why should she believe him? What had he ever done besides make her life miserable? Hermione dons her heels and walks out of the dormitory, head held high. It was nothing but a stupid trick, she reasures herself. Malfoy would go with Parkinson, and she would dance with no one. She had, of course, been planning to go with Ronald. But did he ask her? No. See, that's how boys are, she says to herself. But why, then, had she felt pity for Draco? Why, at one point, did she consider saying yes?


	7. Chapter 7

0 Hours : 45 Minutes : 10 Seconds

(Hermione Granger)

Harry and Hermione stare openmouthed at Hermione as she arrives in the otherwise empty Commom Room. She smiles shyly, embarrased at their open attention. However, it doesn't last long. Hermione knows what has been on their minds, and she already knows that they have a plan. It both sickens and impresses her, their ability to plot so quickly. Ron opens his mouth, and Hermione almost wants to scream at him. Why can't they go to the Yule Ball now and just ignore Malfoy? But it's too late. She has to hear all about their plans.

Ron says, with a wicked glint in his eyes that scares her, " We thought of something good." Harry chimes in, also looking gleeful. " Really good." Hermione takes a step backward, a little alarmed. " I hope it doesn't involve anything illegal! " She is suprised at the slight quaver in her voice. Was she feeling pity for Malfoy, of all people? She wants to slap herself. To make up for it, she forces her face into a grin, though her feet are already being pinched by those shoes, and she just wants to get to the damn ball already. And yes, though she would never admit it, she does feel something like pity for Draco Malfoy. " Tell me," she says, hoping to sound convincing and not overly enthusiastic.

Harry says, " You do that talking Patronus thingy." Hermione rolls her eyes, but her pulse quickenes. She already doesn't like the way things are going here. Ron says, " You tell him how much you _love _him, and that you _can't wait _to see him , when we get there, you completly blow him off. Make it as theatrical as you please. We think some tears and yelling would be nice. Make him look like a total git." They stand back, triumphant, as if they expect her to do cartwheels in response to their brilliant plan.

Hermione, stung by their harsh words, feels the exact opposite way. She says nothing at first, but her mind is reeling. If it was indeed a trick ( now she isn't so sure) then it would serve him right, the stupid prat. But...she can't supress the feeling that what she's about to do is vile, cruel and mean. Without permission her mind gave her a small vision of Draco Malfoy, humming as he picked out his best suit, fixing his hair, his grey eyes glinting, smiling and thinking to himself about the date he was in store for. And would never get. Hermione reminds herself that this was Malfoy she was talking about. She was getting too soft! Though it breaks her heart, she whispers, " I'll do it."


	8. Chapter 8

0 Hours : 25 Minutes : Forty Five Seconds

( Draco Malfoy )

Draco had dawdled in his Dormitory while he dressed, shaking and doused in cold sweat. It was almost to the point where he just went back to bed and forgot the whole thing. But at the thought of the henious nightmares that awaited him if he tried to go to sleep, he had forced himself to go down to the Great Hall. And at the back of his mind, he was knew there was a chance, however slim, that she would say yes. And if he never showed up, never found out the answer, the suspense would simply kill him.

Draco is standing nervously near a pilliar, avoiding people as easily as he always does, even though he looks exceptionally handsome tonight. His hair is combed and neatly parted. He is wearing a dark suit with an emrald tie. And in desperation, he had stolen a bouquet of roses from the nearest Herboloy greenhouse. He holds them close to him and inhales their scent, wondering if girls really did like flowers. He wouldn't know. He had never had a girlfriend.

But if he was lucky, she would be coming down the stairs at any moment. Draco kicks himself for not bringing a watch. He would never ask someone the time, but judging by the large crowd, she is supposed to be here already. His blood runs cold, and a wave of fear rolls over him. Draco feels faint, as if he is about to pass out. How many people had heard his Patronus? He had never considered that. What if they were all in the Gryffindor Common Room at this very moment, laughing and making fun of him? Just as he is about to turn and run, a silver otter, straight from his dreams, appears in front of him. His heart stops as he listens, every particle flooded with joy. She had his message, and was answering back!

Hermione's melodious voice comes to him as if she was standing right in front of him. She says, " Draco, I would simply love to attend the ball with you. I'm so glad you asked me, I feel the same way about you. Well, I'll guess I'll tell you more about it when I see you. Love, Hermione."

For a moment, her word don't register with him, so happy is Draco. Then it all came flooding back to him, her loving voice and what she had said. He presses a shaking hand to his mouth to supress of whoop of delight. She had said yes! His knees feel weak with immeasurable hapiness. Never, not in a thousand years, did he think this would happen. He is so happy that he thinks he will cry. Instead, he waits impatiently for her arrival, tapping his foot on the floor, unable to control the big smile on the face that had once been so unhappy.


End file.
